Well, Brandeisians, a new semester is upon us. Put away your iPads, forget about your Christmas and Hanukkah presents and stop going to bed at 5 a.m. In this second half of the 2011-2012 theatrical season, Brandeis is offering its usual delightful repertoire of comedies and dramas through the combined might of the Brandeis Theater Company and the Undergraduate Theater Collective. There's so much diversity in this semester's offerings, including the twisted tale of an amnesiac girl, an '80s musical blockbuster that needs no introduction and a show about vibrators. These are some performances you don't want to miss!

The 24-Hour Play Festival—Feb. 4 through 5 (Brandeis Ensemble Theater)

Brandeis Enesmble Theater presents its first-ever 24-hour production, in which actors, directors and stage hands unite from conception to performance within a one-day time frame (chugging Einstein's espresso is quite handy here). These shows are always charged with anticipation, suspense and the chaotic sense that anything can go wrong—a combination which usually makes it all go so right. The play itself isn't announced until the day of the performance, so everyone keep your eyes on this one.

Ordinary Mind, Ordinary Day—Feb. 16 through 19 (Brandeis Theater Company)

Brandeis Theater Company presents a unique stage interpretation of four of Virginia Woolfe's stories. The famed writer of such classics as Mrs. Dalloway has a fluid, unconventional style that is intoxicatingly strange to read and the stage adaptations of her tales promises to challenge the mind with its complexity in similar ways.

These are stories about everyday life, but their simplicity is challenged by passion and the quest to find meaning. Director Prof. Adrianne Krstansky (THA) said the play "seeks to discover how we create theater that brings to life not only the outside world but also the internal experience of a moment–a moment that may recall a catastrophic memory, a passionate longing, a forbidden question, a hidden truth."

Brandeis Cares—March 15 (Tympanium Euphorium)

This one-time event is a special production geared toward fundraising for the fight against AIDS. According to Tymp Vice President Ellyn Getz '13, "Brandeis Cares is a Broadway revue benefit concert that raises money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. On March 15 at 7 p.m. in the Sherman Function Hall, at least 75 Brandeis students will be performing different musical numbers." The acts will include improv, hip-hop dancing and a cappella. "We are thrilled to feature Senior Vice President [for Students and Enrollment] Andrew Flagel as our emcee for the event!" Getz added. "Tickets will be $3 for Brandeis students, and all ticket and raffle proceeds will be donated directly to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS." The group hopes to raise at least $1000.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown—March 15 through April 1 (Tympanium Euphorium)

This production chronicles the classic character of Charlie Brown on his quest to determine what it really is that makes him a good person. This 1967 musical comedy, based off the classic Charles Schultz Peanuts comic strip, is a favorite among theater lovers, and this Tympanium Euphorium production will be no exception. Says director Jeremy Weinberg '12 about the show:

"I think Charlie Brown brings back childhood memories and is easy for anyone and everyone to relate to, which means there will hopefully be an audience of all ages. This is my first time directing (other than the Fall 2011 24-Hour Musical, The Wedding Tzinger) so I am going into this experience with an actor's point of view." Weinberg hopes this will be beneficial to the performance, allowing him to develop a stronger connection with the cast and the show. "I want the audience to walk out of the theater filled with happiness and nostalgia, and the idea that good theater can be a lot of fun!"

Fuddy Meers—March 15 through 18 (Brandeis Ensemble Theater)

This dramatic and mind-bending tale revolves around an amnesiac and the convoluted path she takes on her journey to find truth. According to director Michelle Kuchinsky '12:

"Fuddy Meers tells the story of an amnesiac, Claire, who awakens each morning as a blank slate on which her husband, Richard, and teenage son, Kenny, must imprint the facts of her life. The day begins like any other, until a man under her bed tells Claire he is her brother rescuing her from her abusive husband." Throughout the play, Claire doesn't know what is happening and is confused about the strange characters, like her mother, whom she encoutners.

"The play gets its name from Gertie's attempt to say ‘funny mirrors' while recounting to Claire a moment from Claire's past," Kuchinsky told justArts. ... "I believe each audience member can relate to the characters' search for forgiveness, both from others and from within themselves."

Footloose—March 25 through 29 (Hillel Theater Group)

The beloved musical tells the story of Ren McCormack, an optimistic teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town, only to have his hopes dashed by the oppressive efforts of a local minister, who has banned all dancing and rock music. McCormack and his new friends desperately want to dance at the senior prom, so they rise up to overturn the ban. With the classic songs by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford, HTG's annual spring semester musical is bound to be a delightful and inspiring romp and is sure to give audiences a wild ride back to the '80s.

She Stoops to Conquer—March 29 through April 1 (Brandeis Theater Company)

This 18th-century classic by Oliver Smith depicts the quest of a wealthy Londoner, Mr. Hardcastle, to find love who, in an ironic twist, only feels comfortable around women who are of a lower class than he. Kate, the rich woman whom is he is to marry, attempts to earn his love by pretending to be a commoner. The play's events take place in a single night and the show promises to bring classy, farcical good fun to the Brandeis stage. According to director Prof. Eric Hill (THA),"She Stoops is an 18th-century comedy of manners, so you can expect a beautiful period set and lively period costumes. The play deals with mistaken identities and locations and is subtitled The Mistakes of a Night, so expect comedy that revolves around that sort of thing along with crisp dialogue and humor of both language and character."

In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)—April 19 through 22 (Brandeis Players)

In the Next Room, the Tony-nominated play by Sarah Ruhl, is coming to Brandeis. A comedic variation on the history of the vibrator is presented through main characters Sabrina Daldry and Catherine Givings, who tire of boring sex with their husbands and elect to become guinea pigs for doctors who wish to test out their new machine, the vibrator, as a treatment for hysteria. Lots of laughs and sexual promiscuity should be in order. Director Tess Suchoff '13 concurs:

"In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play takes us back to a time when sexuality was less understood and more of a taboo, … The show promises both laughter and pulling at your heart strings as we dive into a world where gender roles begin to open, the love of one's child can bring hate for another and sex can be fun in the snow."

Boris' Kitchen's Big Show—April 27 through 28

Brandeis' premier improv troupe presents their semester show. Skits are being written at this very moment, so who knows what to expect—other than lots of laughs. Boris' Kitchen president Briana Bensenouci '12 describes BK's unique process:

"We go into spring semester knowing that we're going to put on a full-length show in April but having no idea what the content of said show will be. At the beginning of the semester we're in a state of excitement, anticipation and a little fear knowing that the show will be written over the next month or two. So for now, we cheer on our writing team as they brave a harsh sea of half-written jokes and unformed ideas and attempt to tame them into polished sketches."

Looks like we've got a heck of a semester ahead of us! Just remember on those dreary library-ridden days, when begging for death seems preferable to memorizing another Stokes' theorem, that a Brandeis theater presentation is right around the corner.